Home and property maintenance is one of the most essential responsibilities of a homeowner. Unfortunately, it’s not a cheap task. According to NAHB research, homeowners spend on average $9,240 per year maintaining their homes. The costs can even be higher when you factor in repairs and preventive maintenance expenses. Therefore, you must properly budget for your home’s maintenance to keep it in perfect condition. Below are some of the most crucial maintenance needs you should include in your budget plan.
The Roofing
The roof is an important feature of a house; it protects you from the elements and is vital for your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal. Therefore, it’s one of the top home and property maintenance needs you should budget for. As a bonus, regular roof upkeep helps to prevent smaller issues from escalating into future costly problems.
Hiring a roofing service is the best way to maintain your home’s roof. Your local roofing contractors can offer you maintenance solutions like roof inspections, cleaning, shingle replacement, leak repairs, painting rusted or faded shingles, and moss or mold removal. You can also hire other roof-related maintenance services like insulation repair, snow removal, gutter cleaning, and tree trimming or removal.
But how much do you budget for your roof maintenance? According to Angi, the average cost of roof repairs is around $379 – $1,796. Other maintenance costs include gutter maintenance ($119-228), roof cleaning ($295 – $619), and roof inspection ($225). However, your total roof upkeep costs will depend on several factors, like the size of your home and your roof’s material, age, condition, etc.
The HVAC System
HVAC maintenance is another one of the essential home and property maintenance needs to include in your budget. Regular maintenance ensures that your HVAC system is running efficiently, thus saving you money. In addition, it can help extend your system’s lifespan and improve your home’s indoor air quality and comfort.
You can invest in several solutions to keep your HVAC system in peak condition. For example, you can hire an AC service professional to clean condenser and evaporator coils, inspect and unclog drain lines, check refrigerant levels and airflow, and inspect electrical components. Besides the AC, you should also hire an HVAC technician for furnace maintenance solutions. These include cleaning the furnace, changing air filters, cleaning the chimney, inspecting the fan or blower, checking the thermostat, etc.
According to Fixr.com, when budgeting for HVAC upkeep costs, you should expect to spend between $150 and $500 for routine maintenance. However, you might spend more if you have to repair or replace your HVAC system. With regular maintenance, you can keep your HVAC repairs to a minimum and extend the lifespan of your system for several years.
The Doors and Windows
Windows and doors are vital in keeping you (and your home) safe from the elements, intruders, pests, wildlife, etc. They also offer several other benefits, like improving curb appeal, ventilating your home, and improving energy efficiency. Therefore, they are another important item when budgeting for home and property maintenance needs.
You can hire several solutions to maintain your home’s doors and windows. Starting with the doors, you should hire an expert to inspect door features like the locks, hardware, doorbell, frames, seals, and panels. In addition, you should hire services like door repairs, cleaning, painting, and staining to keep your doors looking nice. Lastly, you should hire regular garage door maintenance and repair services to keep your garage door in peak condition.
Likewise, you can find lots of window maintenance solutions to keep your home looking good. These include window cleaning, inspections, repairs (frames, glass, handles, and locks), restoration (for example, painting), and window replacements. According to HomeAdvisor, you can expect to spend between $175 and $612 on basic window repairs and maintenance. On the other hand, door repairs and maintenance will cost about $350 – $650 (for interior doors) and $350 – $1,000 (for exterior doors).
The Plumbing System
Plumbing is another vital maintenance task you shouldn’t overlook when creating your home’s upkeep budget. Plumbing maintenance guarantees a regular supply of safe and clean water to your home. On top of that, it helps to prevent water damage to your home, health hazards associated with poorly functioning plumbing, and high utility bills due to water wastage.
You can hire several maintenance solutions to ensure your plumbing system runs smoothly. For example, you should hire a plumber to inspect, repair, or replace plumbing fixtures like pipes, faucets, sprinklers, and pressure gauges. You should also hire regular maintenance and repair services for plumbing appliances like the water heater, dishwasher, washer, dryer, and garbage disposal.
You may also need to hire more plumbing maintenance solutions if you rely on a well for your water supply. For example, according to the CDC, you should have your well inspected and tested annually to detect issues like dirty water, contaminants, and structural problems. In addition, well pumps require regular maintenance, repairs, and, whenever necessary, replacement to ensure you have a regular supply of fresh water.
The Septic System and Drains
The septic system and drains are other essential items to consider when creating a home and property maintenance budget. If not properly maintained, these two features can lead to serious issues like backed-up wastewater and foul odors in your home. Poorly maintained septic systems can also be a safety and health hazard.
Starting with the drains, you should hire regular maintenance services like drain inspections, cleaning, grease trap emptying, and unclogging. You should also hire repair services for drain lines that are leaking or damaged. Lastly, you may occasionally need drain and sewer line replacements, especially if they become too damaged or outdated.
Likewise, you should invest in several maintenance solutions to keep your septic tank in top condition. For example, you hire a septic tank cleaning service after every few years to guarantee the efficiency of your system and prevent breakdowns. In addition, you should invest in septic tank repairs to prevent leaks or costly breakdowns. Lastly, you should hire regular drain field inspections and repairs, thus helping to improve your septic system’s performance and lifespan.
The Exterior Walls
Your home’s exterior walls help to keep the elements out while also providing insulation, thus ensuring a comfortable indoor temperature. On top of that, they’re one of the most conspicuous features of your property and can greatly impact curb appeal. Therefore, they’re another item to include in your budget when planning for your home and property maintenance.
Regular inspections are one of the best solutions for maintaining your exterior walls; these can help to identify problems at their onset, allowing you to fix them before they worsen. You can also keep your walls by hiring regular power washing services, which can help eliminate dirt, dust, mold, mildew, pests, and other unwanted substances. In addition, regular painting can keep your walls looking new and attractive while hiding minor defects and increasing their protection from the elements.
Lastly, you should invest in period repair services to fix any problems with your exterior walls and the wall cladding materials. Some of the repair solutions you can hire include brick repair, concrete repair, siding repair & replacement, crack repair, insulation repair, etc. In terms of exterior wall maintenance costs, according to Angi, you can spend around $750 – $2,502 for wall repair or $350 – $1,423 for siding repair. However, total costs can vary greatly depending on your wall’s material, condition, age, and other factors.
The Driveway and Walkways
The driveway and walkways are two other items to budget for when planning your home’s maintenance. After all, they are some of the most conspicuous features of your home, and thus maintaining them can significantly boost curb appeal. On top of that, well-maintained driveways and walkways help to keep your home safe by avoiding trip and fall hazards or driveway accidents.
You can hire several walkway and driveway solutions when planning your home’s maintenance. For example, you can hire pressure washing services to remove accumulated dirt, dust, grime, mold, mildew, and other unsightly substances. Other solutions include hiring weed control services, refilling pavers with polymeric sand, snow removal, etc.
Your driveway and walkways will also require regular repairs to keep them in tip-top condition. Of course, the repair services to hire will depend on the materials. For example, you can hire an asphalt service to reseal your asphalt driveway or a concrete service to patch and repair cracks on your driveway and walkways. Other repair solutions include backfilling gravel potholes, replacing damaged pavers, drainage repair, and driveway regrading.
The Landscaping
The landscape is another important area to focus on when creating a home and property maintenance budget. A well-maintained landscape helps to keep your home looking pristine, organized, and attractive. On top of that, according to Bankrate, a perfect-looking landscape can increase your home’s value by around 15-20% during a sale.
You can find several solutions for maintaining your landscape. Starting with the lawn, you should hire a lawn care professional for solutions like lawn mowing, fertilizer application, pests & weed control, and lawn reseeding. On top of that, you should regularly hire repair and maintenance services for your lawn irrigation system, thus ensuring your lawn is well watered all year round.
Besides the lawn, other landscape maintenance solutions to hire include yard cleanup, tree care (trimming, pruning, removal, and disease treatment), mulching (for the garden), hedge trimming, poor drainage repair, and plant pruning. On top of that, you should invest in various maintenance solutions for your hardscaping. This can include pressure washing the patio and deck, re-staining and painting outdoor furniture, repairing damage to the fire pit, and fixing your landscape lights.
Your Water Features
Water features help to enhance the appeal of your home’s landscape, thus improving the curb appeal. They can also offer several other benefits, like creating a tranquil atmosphere, attracting wildlife, and purifying the air. Therefore, they are another vital item to budget for when planning for your home and property maintenance.
The swimming pool is one of the top water features to maintain in your home. You should hire regular maintenance solutions like pool cleaning, filter cleaning & replacement, pump servicing & repair, and checking the water and chemical levels. On top of that, you should hire pool contractors regularly to clean, repair, and renovate the pool’s surface, which will help keep it looking good and avert costly pool malfunctions.
Besides the pool, pond maintenance is another vital solution you can invest in to maintain your home. Some of the pond solutions you can hire include regular pond inspections, removing trash and debris, cleaning the area surrounding the pond, removing trees and other vegetation, and repairing the pipes and other pond fixtures. Lastly, you should invest in the regular cleaning and repair of other water features like waterfalls, fountains, and bird baths.
The Fence
The fence is another top item to budget for when planning home and property maintenance. That’s because the fence plays a vital role in protecting your home from intruders and your kids and pets from dangers outside your property. In addition, maintaining your fence can help improve curb appeal and add value to your property.
You can hire several fencing services to keep your home’s fence in good shape. For example, you can hire regular power washing services to remove accumulated dirt, debris, mold, algae, and other unsightly substances. In addition, you can hire painting services, which can help protect your fence from the elements, extend its lifespan, and keep it looking nice and new.
Regular inspection is another maintenance solution that can identify fence problems before they worsen. In addition, you should invest in periodic repairs to fix issues like rotting posts, loose nails, pest damage, and damaged post, rails, and fence panels. Lastly, you should keep the surrounding area clean and hire trimming or removal services for any overhanging trees to prevent damage to your fence.
Regular home and property maintenance is a great way to keep your home looking nice. It can also help to prevent major damage to your home and expensive repairs. So, if you’re planning to maintain your home, the above are some of the top items you should budget for.